Abstract: A recording medium having a substrate, a first soft magnetic underlayer, a second soft magnetic underlayer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer without a spacer layer between the first and second soft magnetic underlayers is disclosed.

Abstract: A recording medium having a substrate, a first soft magnetic underlayer, a second soft magnetic underlayer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer without a spacer layer between the first and second soft magnetic underlayers is disclosed.

Abstract: Carbon or boron is added into the CoCr layers of a multiplayer perpendicular magnetic media structure to reduce media noise. The perpendicular magnetic media structure has sharp interfaces between Co-alloy layers and Pd or Pt layers and significantly reduced exchange coupling. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the perpendicular magnetic media structure with carbon or boron additives is 700 ? FeCo30.8B12/20 ? TaOx/700 ? FeCo30.8B12/20 ? TaOx/700 ? FeCo30.8B12/20 ? TaOx/158 ? FeCo30.8B12/17 ? Ta/49 ? ITO/33 ? CoCr37Ru10/2.5 ? COy/2.5 ? C/[(CoCr9)C6.8/Pd]19/50 ? CHN. [(CoCr9)C6.8/Pd]19 means 19 layers of the bi-layer stack (CoCr9)C6.8/Pd. TaOx stands for surface-oxidized Ta and COy stands for C oxides. ITO stands for Indium Tin Oxide and consists of In2O3 and Sn2O5 at 80 and 20 molecular percent respectively. CHN refers to hydrogenated and nitrogenated carbon.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium having a first magnetic layer, a spacer layer, and a second magnetic layer, in this order, wherein the spacer layer includes a non-magnetic layer and a thickness of the spacer layer is selected to establish anti-ferromagnetic coupling between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a thickness of both the first and second magnetic layers are less than a critical thickness for formation of stripe domains in the magnetic layers is disclosed.

Abstract: A thin film structure in the form of, for example, a magnetic recording medium having a deceased C-axis distribution is provided. The structure includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface non-parallel to the first surface, a seed layer overlying the first surface and the second surface of the substrate and a magnetic material layer on the seed layer. The magnetic material layer has a C-axis tilted with respect to an axis perpendicular to the magnetic material layer, i.e., a surface normal of the magnetic material layer. The seed layer has a columnar structure oriented generally perpendicular to either the first surface or the second surface of the substrate. The columnar structure of the seed layer acts as a template to epitaxial growth.

Abstract: A method of forming a layer of a magnetic material with radially oriented magnetic anisotropy, comprising sequential steps of providing a circular, annular disk-shaped substrate having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, forming a layer of a magnetic material with non-radially oriented magnetic anisotropy over at least one surface of the substrate, and re-orienting the magnetic anisotropy in a radial direction. Preferably, the re-orientation is performed magnetically and the radially oriented layer serves as a magnetically soft underlayer (SUL) of a magnetic recording medium. Also disclosed is a multi-chamber apparatus for performing the disclosed process.

Abstract: A recording medium having a substrate, a first soft magnetic underlayer, a second soft magnetic underlayer and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer without a spacer layer between the first and second soft magnetic underlayers is disclosed.

Abstract: Generally, methods and apparatus are disclosed for fabrication of angle-of-incidence layers on a substrate. In one embodiment, the angle-of-incidence layers may have either radial or circumferential tilt symmetry, using, for example, sputtering or evaporation techniques. In one example, an apparatus for sputtering material comprises a substrate support member, a cathode positioned in substantially facing relationship with respect to the substrate support member and a shutter plate. The shutter plate is disposed between the substrate support member and the cathode and defining an aperture for selective transmission of sputtered articles from the cathode on the basis of a non-perpendicular trajectory angle relative to a plane of the substrate support member.

Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly establishing at least one preselected gas pressure in a process chamber comprising: (a) a chamber defining an interior space adapted to be maintained at a reduced pressure; and (b) a gas supply means for supplying at least one burst of gas to the chamber for rapidly establishing the at least one preselected gas pressure in the chamber, the gas supply means including: (i) a source of the gas; (ii) a supply ballast fluidly connected to the gas source for receiving the gas from the source; (iii) at least one burst ballast fluidly connected to the supply ballast via a metering valve for receiving the gas from the supply ballast; and (iv) an on/off valve fluidly connected to the at least one burst ballast and the chamber for supplying the process chamber with the gas from the at least one burst ballast.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film on a substrate/workpiece by sputtering, comprising steps of: (a) providing an apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber including at least one sputtering source and a gas supply means for injecting a gas containing at least one reactive component into said chamber, the gas supply means comprising a plurality of differently-sized outlet orifices adapted for providing substantially the same flow rate of gas from each orifice; (b) providing a substrate/workpiece having at least one surface for formation of a thin film thereon; (c) generating a sputtered particle flux from the at least one sputtering source; (d) injecting the gas containing the at least one reactive component into the chamber via the gas supply means, such that the same gas flow rate is provided at each orifice; and (e) forming a reactively sputtered thin film on the at least one surface of the substrate/workpiece, the reactively sputtered thin film having a substantially uniform content of the at least one reactive co

Abstract: Carbon or boron is added into the CoCr layers of a multiplayer perpendicular magnetic media structure to reduce media noise. The perpendicular magnetic media structure has sharp interfaces between Co-alloy layers and Pd or Pt layers and significantly reduced exchange coupling. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the perpendicular magnetic media structure with carbon or boron additives is 700 ? FeCo30.8B12/20 ? TaOx/700 ? FeCo30.8B12/20 ? TaOx/700 ? FeCo30.8B12/20 ? TaOx/158 ? FeCo30.8B12/17 ? Ta/49 ? ITO/33 ? CoCr37Ru10/2.5 ? COy/2.5 ? C/[(CoCr9)C6.8/Pd]19/50 ? CHN. [(CoCr9)C6.8/Pd]19 means 19 layers of the bi-layer stack (CoCr9)C6.8/Pd. TaOx stands for surface-oxidized Ta and COy stands for C oxides . ITO stands for Indium Tin Oxide and consists of In2O3 and Sn2O5 at 80 and 20 molecular percent respectively. CHN refers to hydrogenated and nitrogenated carbon.